A New Chapter

Single mom Cher Roberts and her son, Tahj, have lived in the two-bedroom, one-bath house for 2 1/2 years. They have been happy with their home but are ready to move closer to family. The Designed to Sell team is brought in to help make the sale happen as quickly as possible.

The first team member on the scene is real estate expert Shannon Freeman. Her initial impression of the exterior is that the roof is in good shape and the general appearance is neat, clean and well-maintained.

Inside, she notes that most of the rooms are monochromatic except for lots of clutter, which is a major no-no when your house is on the market. The den has no real identity, serving as a family room, laundry room and toy room. It needs to be clearly defined so that potential buyers don't have to do any work to imagine themselves in the house. Out back is a great space whose value is overshadowed by a large awning. Freeman suggests removing the awning and creating a nice patio area.

The next visit comes from designer Lisa LaPorta, who agrees with Freeman and outlines a plan for getting this house into selling shape. The focus is to be on the living room, den and backyard.

Step 1: Stretch it out. Rearrange rooms to show off square footage and highlight the home's true potential.

Step 2: Punch up the patio. Give the backyard a face-lift so that interested buyers will think they've found an oasis.

Step 3: Illuminate the inside. Use natural and artificial light to open up the space and brighten up the prospects for a profitable sale.

Contractor Jim Collins and carpenters Brad Haviland and Nick Ralbovsky are on hand, as usual, to help the homeowner and LaPorta achieve these goals. Let's see how they did.